We Miss You, Joey - The Sentimental Journey Special Post

Today is the 6 month mark since Joey's departure to Heaven. We try not to say, "since Joey died" anymore. Some would say that's a euphemism, a form of denial, and a sugar-coat of the facts, and I guess that's partly true. The word "death" has become a painful word that we don't like to use anymore. It's jarring, and dark and final and hopeless. Painful. We need more than those hard words to get by..

Our progress in dealing with the loss of Joey is determined by one thing---our hope in a place called Heaven. We have found that focussing on God's promises is the ONLY way out. God's words about Heaven, eternal life, our blessed hope---those are the words that heal and strengthen. The past six months have been hard work---a difficult climb out of a deep pit of crushing loss and disappointment. So when we talk about Joey's departure to Heaven, it is a statement of faith on our part...a declaration that there is more than meets the eye in our loss.

Though Joey is no longer here on earth, and that's the hard part, he is still nonetheless very much alive. He is in Paradise. He is experiencing the joy of being in the presence of God, and the pleasures at His right hand. His time in the courts of Heaven have been better than thousands of days anywhere else. He sees God and the saints and the angels and is also watching the spiritual battle on earth, which is far more gripping than the best movie he could ever see at the Cinerama Dome in LA. He is hearing music and making music in a whole new way, creating with some of the finest musicians ever known. He is talking with some of the finest minds in history--poets, writers, thinkers---people he read about and admired while on earth. He is praying for those he loves---his grandpa and his mom and dad, and his sisters and brothers-in-law, and his beloved nieces and nephews, and precious Rachel. We can almost here him cheering us on to keep the faith....trust...believe.

So for the past six months, day by day, layer by layer, we have been adding to our storehouse of promises. We are creating a rich view of Heaven, based on God's word, so that we can bear the absence of our Joey. And God is working hope in us, so that we are comforted that this is a temporary loss. And for now, Joey is enjoying and exploring Heaven, and as we wait for the moment of reunion, he too is waiting for us to arrive.